Product Description

Praise for Star Ware

"Star Ware is still a tour de force that any experienced amateur will find invaluable, and which hardware–minded beginners will thoroughly enjoy."

– Robert Burnham, Sky & Telescope magazine

"Star Ware condenses between two covers what would normally take a telescope buyer many months to accumulate."

– John Shibley, Astronomy magazine

Whether you′re shopping for your first telescope or your fifth, don′t be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the dazzling array of product choices, bells and whistles, and the literature that describes them all. That′s why you need Star Ware.

In this revised and updated Fourth Edition of the essential guide to comparing and selecting sky–watching equipment, award–winning astronomy writer Philip Harrington takes you telescope shopping the easy way. He analyzes and explains today′s astronomy market and compares brands and models point by point. Star Ware gives you the confidence you need to buy the telescope and accessories that are right for you and the knowledge to get the most out of your new purchase, with:
∗

Extensive, expanded reviews of leading models and accessories–including dozens of new products
∗

A clear, step–by–step guide to every aspect of selecting telescopes, binoculars, filters, mounts, lenses, cameras, film, star charts, guides and references, and much more
∗

Ten new do–it–yourself projects for building your own astronomical equipment
∗

Easy tips on setting up, using, and caring for telescopes and other astronomical equipment
∗

Lists of where to find everything astronomical, including Web sites and resources; distributors, dealers, and conventions; and corporate listings for products and services

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #282461 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From the Back Cover

Praise for Star Ware

"Star Ware is still a tour de force that any experienced amateur will find invaluable, and which hardware–minded beginners will thoroughly enjoy."

— Robert Burnham, Sky & Telescope magazine

"Star Ware condenses between two covers what would normally take a telescope buyer many months to accumulate."

— John Shibley, Astronomy magazine

Whether you′re shopping for your first telescope or your fifth, don′t be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the dazzling array of product choices, bells and whistles, and the literature that describes them all. That′s why you need Star Ware.

In this revised and updated Fourth Edition of the essential guide to comparing and selecting sky–watching equipment, award–winning astronomy writer Philip Harrington takes you telescope shopping the easy way. He analyzes and explains today′s astronomy market and compares brands and models point by point. Star Ware gives you the confidence you need to buy the telescope and accessories that are right for you and the knowledge to get the most out of your new purchase, with:

• Extensive, expanded reviews of leading models and accessories—including dozens of new products

• A clear, step–by–step guide to every aspect of selecting telescopes, binoculars, filters, mounts, lenses, cameras, film, star charts, guides and references, and much more

• Ten new do–it–yourself projects for building your own astronomical equipment

• Easy tips on setting up, using, and caring for telescopes and other astronomical equipment

• Lists of where to find everything astronomical, including Web sites and resources; distributors, dealers, and conventions; and corporate listings for products and services

About the Author
Philip S. Harrington holds degrees in mechanical engineering and science education. As a contributing editor for Astronomy magazine, he writes reviews of astronomical equipment as well as a monthly column on binocular astronomy. He is the author of the three previous editions of Star Ware as well as Star Watch, Touring the Universe through Binoculars, and Eclipse!

Customer Reviews

A must for the amateur astronomer
We decided to buy a telescope, and the advice we found on makes/types etc... in this book was invaluable. Unlike a lot of magazines and other books they cover a whole host of manufacturers - not just USA. It gives advice, comparisons, good+bad features between telescopes, eyeieces, filters and everything related to astronomy. As well as the information in the chapters on each element of astonomy, there are appendices for different price ranges and manufacturers, together with basic information on each. I'd recommend it as an essential purchase for anyone starting out in astronomy.

Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin
I’m in a position to buy a new telescope having discovered over the last five years what a great hobby doorstep astronomy is, and there’s a little nagging voice in my brain telling me I’m making the wrong choice of scope. I saw this book on Amazon and decided to take the plunge. It’s a mine of information covering everything you ever wanted to know about telescopes (and binoculars!) and a host of accessories. Funnily I even found the historical section very interesting (not my thing normally) and the way scopes and eyepieces have developed was good background stuff. The sheer size of the book frightened me at first – over 400 pages – but I soon realised that it was divided into sections like a good reference manual and I didn’t need to read it from cover to cover. After two or three nights of quiet study I’ve made the decision (and I know it’s the right one!). I particularly liked the detail on eyepieces which tends to be neglected by many publications, but is as important as the scope itself, and I also read that the scope I’ve been using up to now is poor quality (I could have told him that). I’d recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of buying a telescope and wavering a bit – it’s surely worth spending a few quid up front to make sure you don’t spend hundreds on the wrong thing. If I had any complaints about the book it would be that there are some price ranges quoted – dollars are no good to us UK citizens because the pricing structure is different, and these sort of things can quickly become incorrect. However, overall I found it to be an excellent publication, doing exactly what it set out to do. It will now join my library of astronomy publications and I’m sure I’ll use it when I change scopes again.

Not good
To be Honest, though the book does offer some interesting tips. Through following the advise given in it, particuarly on how to clean a telescope mirrow. The advise followed almost caused me to damage the mirror.
Like using compressed air to blow particles off the mirror. Bad idea. Yet recommended within this book.
My advise is to avoid it, or follow it with caution